Communities Support Military

Families

• Has changed the face of military service, especially for those in the National Guard and Reserves

• Mobilization and deployment are at record high levels for all components of the military

• National Guard and Reserve families have different needs than traditional military families.

Impact of Overseas Contingency Operations

• For the National Guard and Reserves, their primary occupation is not one of service member and some families might not consider themselves military families.

• Geographically dispersed from others in the same circumstances (not necessarily located near a military installation).

• Family identity changes from civilian to military with one letter or phone call.

Impact of Overseas Contingency Operations

Goal of the Program

• Encourage community members to be good neighbors in support of the military families in their midst.

• Caring neighbors and community groups can make a huge positive difference in the lives and mental health of families of deployed and returned service members.

Learning Objectives• Build knowledge of the structure and

mission of the military services

• Become aware of the presence and needs of military families

• Reach out as individuals with empathy to meet nearby families’ specific needs

• Assist communities to meet the needs of military families in practical ways.

Flow of the Program

• Introduction: Meaning of deployment, and the unique issues of military families and the communities in which they live

• Structure of the U.S. Armed Forces

• Comparison of civilian and military cultures

• The deployment cycle and family reactions

• Suggested ways to support military families

Definition of Deployed Reserve Military

PersonnelIn military terms, Reserve service members are taken from their reserve status to active duty status to fulfill a requirement that the full-time active duty force cannot complete alone.

• Lack of community awareness of and support for military family needs

• Lack of preparedness within the family to recognize and meet the needs of the remaining parent or adult relative, children, and youth when a member is deployed

Unique Issues for Military Families, Youth, and

Children

Department of Defense Overview

U.S. Army

Army Component Structure

Reserve Component

National Guard Army Reserve

States Regions

Active Component*

Regions

Installations

Geographically Dispersed

Army National Guard

• Army National Guard is one component of the total U.S. Army.

• ARNG is composed of civilians who serve their country on a part-time basis.

• The ARNG has a dual mission, e.g., state and federal.

Overview of Army National Guard

Overview of Army National Guard

• In peacetime, governors command the Guard forces.

• During wartime, the President of the United States can activate the National Guard.

• When federalized, Guard units are led by the commander of the theatre in which they are operating.

ARMY RESERVE

• Train alongside Army active duty soldiers to the same standards.

• Activated for a federal mission.

• Deliver sovereign options for the defense of the United States of America and its global interests – to fight and win America’s wars.

Army Reserve Overview

Army Reserve Units

Akron

Albuquerque Amarillo

Anaheim

Arlington

Arlington

Atlanta

Aurora

Austin

Bakersfield

Baton Rouge

Boston

Bridgeport

Buffalo

CharlotteChattanooga

Chesapeake

Chicago

CincinnatiColorado Springs

Columbus

Columbus

Corpus Christi

Des Moines

Detroit

El Paso

Fort Lauderdale

Fort Wayne

FremontFresno

Glendale

Houston

Jackson

Jacksonville

Kansas City

KnoxvilleLas Vegas

Lexington

Lincoln

Little Rock

Lubbock

Madison

Minneapolis

Oklahoma City

Orlando

Philadelphia

Portland

Richmond

Sacramento

Salt Lake City

San Diego

Seattle

Shreveport

Spokane

St. Louis

St. Petersburg

Syracuse

Tucson

Tulsa

Wichita

U.S. Marine Corps

Marine Corps Community Service

Installations

Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, ArizonaMarine Corps Base Barstow, CaliforniaMarine 29 Palms, CaliforniaMarine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, CaliforniaMarine Corps San Diego, CaliforniaMarine Corps Air Station Miramar, CaliforniaMountain Warfare Training Center, CaliforniaMarine Corps Logistics Base Albany, GeorgiaMarine Corps Base HawaiiHeadquarters Camp Fuji, JapanMarine corps Air Station Iwakuni, JapanMarine Corps Base Camp Butler, OkinawaMarine Forces Reserve LouisianaKansas City, MissouriMarine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North CarolinaMarine Corps Base Lejeune, North CarolinaMarine Corps Air Station New River, North CarolinaMarine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South CarolinaMarine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South CarolinaMarine Corps Base Camp Allen, VirginiaMarine Corps Base Quantico, VirginiaHQ’s Battalion Henderson Hall, Virginia

U. S. Navy

CNR Korea- CFA Chinhae

CNR Japan - CFA Okinawa- CFA Yokosuka - CFA Sasebo- NAF Atsugi- NAF Misawa- NSF Diego Garcia

CNR Marianas (Guam) - Guam (CNF Marianas SA)

CNR Hawaii - NAVSTA Pearl Harbor- PMRF Barking Sands

CNR SW Asia - NSA Bahrain

CNR Northwest- Naval Base Kitsap- NAS Whidbey Island- NAVSTA Everett- NAVMAG Indian Island

CNR Southwest- SUBASE San Diego - NAVSTA San Diego- NAVBASE Ventura County- NAF El Centro- NAS Lemoore- NAS Fallon- NAVWEPSTA Seal Beach- NAS North Island - NAWS China Lake- NSA Monterey

CNR Midwest - NAVSTA Great Lakes- NSA Crane- Mid South

CNR Mid-Atlantic- NSA Norfolk - NSS Norfolk Naval Shipyard* - NAVSTA Norfolk- NAS Oceana- WPNSUPPFAC Yorktown - NAB Little Creek - NSA Mechanicsburg - NAS/JRB Willow Grove - NSGA Sugar Grove- NAS Brunswick- NAVWPNSTA Earle- SUBASE New London- NSY BOS Portsmouth - NAVSTA Newport- NAVAIRENGSTA Lakehurst - NSU Saratoga Springs

CNR Southeast - NAS Jacksonville- NAVSTA Mayport- SUBASE Kings Bay- NAVWPNSTA Charleston- NAS Key West- CBC Gulfport- NAVSTA Guantanamo Bay- NSA Panama City- NSA Athens- NAS Atlanta- NAS Meridian

- NSA Orlando- NAVSTA Pascagoula- NAS Pensacola- NAS Whiting Field- NAVSTA Ingleside- NAS Corpus Christi- NAS Kingsville- NAS/JRB Fort Worth- NAS/JRB New Orleans- NSA New Orleans- NA Puerto Rico

Singapore AC

CNR NDW- NSA Washington- NSA North Potomac- NSA South Potomac- NSA Patuxent River- NSA Annapolis

CNR Europe - NSA Naples - NAS Sigonella- NSA Souda Bay- NAVSTA Rota- JMF St. Mawgans

Navy Region Structure

Commander, Naval Installation CommandWashington Navy Yard

Navy Reserve

24

U.S. Air Force

Air Force Structure

Reserve Component

Air National Guard Air Force Reserve Command

States 3 Numbered Air Forces

Active Component

Major Commands

Bases

Geographically Dispersed

Major Commands

36 Wings

Air National Guard

Air National Guard Locations

Air National Guard Units

Guam

Puerto Rico

Air Force Reserve

Air Force Reserve Units36 Wings and 4 Groups – 11 Reserve Bases – 52

Tenant Bases

U.S. Coast Guard

U.S. Coast Guard Reserve

Coast Guard Locations

The mission of the U.S. Coast Guard blends military, humanitarian, and civilian law-enforcement capabilities.

Five fundamental roles: • maritime safety• maritime security• maritime mobility• national defense • protection of natural resources

U.S. Coast Guard

• Responds to the needs of the military youth whose parents have been deployed in support of overseas contingency operations.

• Infrastructure developed by 50 OMK state teams that work to build the community capacity of local community support networks to provide services that support child and youth of military families.

• Delivered in local communities through collaboration with military partners, Cooperative Extension family and consumer sciences and 4-H programs, Boys & Girls Clubs, the Military Child Education Coalition, The American Legion, child care resource and referral agencies, and other community agencies serving youth at national, state, and local levels.

Operation: Military Kids — The Concept

OMK State Team Roles and Responsibilities:• Create a diverse and highly

functioning state team• Establish local community

support networks• Provide OMK Ready, Set, Go!

trainings• Coordinate delivery of “Speak

Out for Military Kids” trainings and events

• Implement Hero Pack Project• Loan resources and portable

computer lab for use with military audiences

Operation: Military KidsState Team

Understanding

Military Culture

What is Culture?

• “Culture” is the knowledge, experience, values, ideas, attitudes, skills, tastes, and techniques that are passed on from more experienced members of a community to new members.

• Examples of culture are rules for building relationships and living with others, ways of managing health, acceptable gender roles, hand and body gestures, dressing and grooming, recreation, and choices of rewards and privileges.

Identify Your Culture

• Mission of the military

• Military values

• Unique cultural aspects

• Issues for military families and children

Elements of Military Culture

• The mission of the Department of Defense is to provide the military forces needed to deter war and to protect the security of the country.

• The Army’s mission is to fight and win our nation’s wars by providing prompt, sustained land dominance across the full range of military operations and spectrum of conflict in support of combatant commanders.

Mission of the Military

Military ValuesArmy

• Loyalty• Duty• Respect• Selfless Service• Honor• Integrity• Personal Courage

Air Force•Integrity First•Service Before Self•Excellence in All We Do

Navy & Marine Corps

•Honor•Courage•Commitment

• We use the color purple because purple symbolizes “joint” in the military world, meaning “all services.” In the world of color, if you combine Army green, Air Force blue, Marine red, and Navy blue you get purple.

What is Purple?

Military Culture: Symbols

• Uniforms• Military salute• Service flags• Respect for the flag of the United

States of America• Military ranks• Special symbols for each branch• Hooah!

How Does Military Culture Affect Families and

Children of Reserve Service Members?

Military children and youth are vulnerable during major life changes, such as:

• Moving due to permanent change of station

• Parental absence due to long-term temporary duty

• Mobilization and deployment

• Remaining parent less accessible due to family tasks

• Graduating to junior/high school/postsecondary education

Transition Issues

• Adjusting to new or temporary familyconfiguration

• Managing new situations, especially being “suddenly military”

• Accommodating physical changes• Making new contacts• Acclimating to new places• Coping with changing schools,

sports leagues,or other out-of-school activities

Social Issues and Needs

• Need to know they are loved and cared for, regardless of their age.

• Emotional issues include:— Sadness — Excitement— Anger — Anticipation— Vulnerability — Confidence— Loneliness — New Challenges— Lack of sense of belonging

Emotional Issues and Needs

•Reorienting to new classmates, teachers, schedules, and inconsistencies in school requirements and offerings, such as:

• Immunization requirements• School calendars/scheduling• Entrance and exit testing• Course content and sequencing• Discipline• Graduation requirements• Special education qualification and

services• Records/credit transfers

Educational Issues and Needs

• Make friends with other military youth

• Make friends from other parts of the country

• Become more responsible

• Adapt more easily to change and become more flexible

• Experience firsthand what is read/taught in social studies

• Depend on family for safety, security, and companionship

Benefits of Transition

The Emotional Cycle of

Deployment

The “New” Emotional Cycle of Deployment

• Each stage is characterized by time frame and specific emotional challenges

• Failure to negotiate successfully can lead to strife

• Seven distinct stages:– Stage One: Anticipation of Departure– Stage Two: Detachment & Withdrawal– Stage Three: Emotional Disorganization– Stage Four: Recovery & Stabilization– Stage Five: Anticipation of Return– Stage Six: Return Adjustment &

Renegotiation– Stage Seven: Reintegration & Stabilization

Stage One: Anticipation of Departure

• Timeframe: When family members receive orders

• Increased feeling of stress in home

• Reality of change ahead is “sinking in”

• Denial & anticipation of loss

• Focus is on completing family pre-deployment activity checklist

• Members may feel more emotional

• In case of multiple deployments . . . new cycle may begin before family has had time to renegotiate shared vision from last deployment

Stage Two: Detachment and

Withdrawal• Timeframe: Last week before service member leaves

• Service member is focused on preparing for mission and may distance self from family

• Anger, arguments may occur as family prepares to protect themselves from “hurt” of separation

• Communication may be difficult

• In preparation for loss, family may begin to act like the service member is already gone

• Multiple deployments can result in need to repeatedly create distance; to feel “numb” and avoid emotional connection

Stage Three: Emotional Disorganization

• Timeframe: 1-6 weeks into deployment

• Life without the service member may initially feel overwhelming

• Routines change, responsibilities may be added

• Kids may feel . . . – Numb and not interested in doing much– More irritable than usual– Have difficulty concentrating – particularly at school– Wish things would go back to “normal”– Surprised because things seem to be moving more

smoothly now that the service member is gone

Stage Four: Recovery, Stabilization

• Timeframe: Usually between weeks 3 and 5 after deployment

• Family finally starts to settle into routine of life without the service member

• Coping with changes can be positive for kids – May enjoy new found responsibilities– Sense of independence – Relief that family is functioning well

• Coping with changes can be challenging for kids– Difficult time accepting changes– Stressed, depressed, and having difficulty getting things

done– Feel unsupported and worried how will make it through

• Most of the time there is a mixture of both responses!

Stage Five: Anticipation of Return

• Timeframe: About 6 weeks before the service member returns

• Homecoming is coming!

• Family is happy, excited, and feeling a boost of energy

• Trying to make everything “perfect” for the return

• Sense of relief that the service member will be home, combined with worries about whether or not they will be the same

• If the service member came home on leave at some point during deployment, that experience may be what family members expect:– Positive Leave Experience = Positive Homecoming– Challenging Leave Experience = Challenging Homecoming

•If you love one another, reunions are easy

• Angry feelings should never accompany reunions

• First few days following homecoming are often mix of relief, happiness, and anxiety

• It’s perfectly natural for communication to be strained at first

• Children may not feel automatically comfortable with the returning parent

True or False: The Myth of the Perfect Homecoming

• It may take some time for the returning service member to adjust

• If they really love each other, spouses/significant others will not change during absence

• Re-established intimacy will flourish if given time to grow

• Service members never feel let down/lonely following deployment

• There is no such thing as a perfect homecoming

Stage Six: Return Adjustment and Renegotiation

• Timeframe: About 6 weeks after the service member returns, after initial joy and relief have diminished

• During time of separation the service member and all family members have changed

• Changes may hold pleasant surprises or may cause conflict

• Family members may feel overwhelmed by the service member attempts to get to know everyone again

• Everyone needs space and time to readjust

• Entire family must begin to renegotiate how household will look now that everyone is together again

Stage Seven: Reintegration &

Stabilization• Timeframe: Up to 6 months (and beyond) after the

service member returns

• Family continues to adjust to having the service member home

• A “new normal” is established regarding routines and expectations

• Members may begin to feel secure, relaxed, and comfortable with one another again

• If readjustment challenges resurface, support is important. . . It’s okay to ask for help if you need it!

•Combat Stress—Natural result of heavy mental and emotional work when facing danger in tough conditions; physical symptoms (headaches, racing heart, fatigue, anger) generally get better with rest and replenishment

•Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder—Possible response when deployment has occurred to war zone, natural disaster site, or urban riot location: physical, mental, and emotional symptoms that require professional assistance

•Secondary Traumatic Stress—Possibly experienced by family members upon return of soldier; stress resulting from helping or wanting to help a suffering or traumatized person

Other Post-deployment Stress-Related Issues

• Educate self on the impact of deployment onchildren/youth and families

• Reflect what you see and hear in terms of theirbehavior to help them with understanding

• Be patient, understanding, caring, and firm with consequences for misbehavior

• Help children/youth identify, accept, and express what they are feeling

• Model constructive ways of dealing with strong or challenging emotions such as anger, grief, loss, or sadness

Suggested Healthy Responses by Adults

•Safety and structure

•Belonging and membership

•Closeness and several good relationships

•Gaining competence and mastering skills

•Independence

•Self-awareness: The ability and the opportunity to act on that understanding

•Self-worth: The ability and opportunity to contribute

•Other basic needs?

Basic Needs for Healthy Growth

References and Resources• Ames, B., Smith, S., Holtrop, K., Blow, A., Hamel, J., MacInnes, M., & Onaga, E. (2011).

Meeting the needs of National Guard and Reserve families: The vital role of Extension. Journal of Extension, 49 (5), Article Number 5FEA7.

• Army Reserve Family Services. Available at http://www.arfp.org

• Distribution of Military personnel by state and by selected Locations. Available at http://siadapp.dmdc.osd.mil/personnel/Pubs.htm.

• Drummet, A. R., Coleman, M., & Cable, S. (2003). Military families under stress: Implications for family life education. Family Relations, 52 (3), 279-287.

• Ginsburg, K. R. (2011). Building resilience in children and teens. (2nd edition) Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics.

•  How to help military families as a family, friend, or neighbor. (2008). West Lafayette, IN: Military Families Research Institute at Purdue University. Available at http://www.cfs.purdue.edu/mfri.

• Huebner, A. J., Mancini, J. A., Gowen, G. L., & Orthner, D. K. (2009). Shadowed by war: Building community capacity to support military families. Family Relations, 58. 216-228.

• Military Child Education Coalition. (2004). How communities can support the children and families of those serving in the National Guard or Reserves. Available at http://www.militarychild.org.

• National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) of the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Available at http://www.ptsd.va.gov.

References and Resources• National Council on Family Relations. (2004, April). NCFR policy brief: Building strong

communities for military families. Available at http://www.ncfr.org.

• Operation Military Homefront. (2010). Defense Manpower Data Center. Available at www.operationhomefront.net.

• Operation Military Kids. Available at http://www.operationmilitarykids.org.

• Pincus, S. H., House, R., Christenson, J., & Adler, L. E. (June, 2001). The emotional cycle of deployment: A military family perspective. Army Medical Department Journal, Quarterly Report No. A597093. Available at http://www.hooah4health.com/deployment/familymatters/emotionalcycle2.htm

• Richardson, A., Chandra, A., Martin, L. T., Setodji, C. M., Hallmark, B. W., Campbell, N. F., Hawkins, S. A., & Grody, P. (2011). Effects of soldiers’ deployment on children’s academic performance and behavioral health. Monograph. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation. Available at http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monographs/2011/RAND_MG1095.sum.pdf

• U. S. Coast Guard. Available at http://www.gocoastguard.com/ and http://www.uscg.mil/top/missions /

Thank you for your attention!This PowerPoint® presentation and accompanying handouts

and activities are adapted for use in this program by permission of Darrin W. Allen, Director of the National 4-H/Army Youth Development Project, from Chapters One, Two, Five, and Six of the Operation: Military Kids Ready, Set, Go! Training Manual (8th edition, 2010).

Carole Gnatuk, Ed.D.Senior Extension Specialist for Child Development Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service

March 2012